Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-01
REAGAN TO DAVIS.
The Ex-Postmaster General Of the
ConfederaCy in Reply 10 Express
ident Davis | 3tter on Pro-
hibition.
"Wfil;en Not il Complaint, but in
Surprise and SorroW" that Hr. Da-
Wis Should Have Written at All,
And from Sense of Duty and TO Vlndl-
cate the Views OF the Senator In
the Matter,

cate the Views OF the Senator IN
the Matter,
PALE~ TINE, TEN, July p. l>37.
Hon. Jefferson Dayis, Beauvoir, Mss.
Ny DEAR SIR AND FRIEND write not
to complain, but to express nv surprise
and sorrow on account of the letter you
wrote to our good friend, Governor Lub-
book, in opposition to the adoption ot the
proposed amendment TO our state ccnsti-
tuition to prohibit the manufacture, sale
and exchange OF Intoxicating liquors, ex-
Cept for mechanical, medical, scientific
aid sacrameutal purposes. Texas has
never been so profoundly stirred no On q
question before within my memory.
The state Democratic convention Of last
year held ne question OF temperance, Ct
opposition TO the liquor traffic, to be non
parliZln. Our Democratic governor rec
ommeaded 10 the last Legislature the
submission of this question to the vote o.
the people. Our Legislature, which on
Joint bAllot had but five Republicans IN
it, did submit the question to the people
fer d cision on the +th OF August rrOXimo,
by vote of more than two thirds of each
house. l. WAS submitted as c nOn-par.i-
Zan question, to be voted on when 70
other question was before the people
This measure is, | understand, sustained
by s majority of the Democratic members
CT the Legislature. 1t Is sustained by
many Of the ablest, b2gt and NEST trusted
Democrats Of the state, such IS eX-
Senator M2xey, Mr.. Culbarson, Mr..
Lanhsm and Judge Hare, Democratic
mem0srs- select 10 Congress and Colonel
Miller, Democratic member q last
Congress. l. is sustained by two thirds
Of the newspapers Of Texas, b7 not less
! than ninete E-tWtntIeths Ok the 5000 or 1000
preachers Of Texas. By probably ninety
mpe in every 100 e the women Ct the
state. And it will, in my opinion, be
| yosed for by more THAI 100 900 white
! DebIdCrats Of thi3 state
/ | have been in three counties IN large
| assemblies since your letter vas pub
| lished, and from what | have seen and
| heard / am sure that tens of thousands
| of your truest and best friends are
grieyed and panied by your letter. We
| believed we could carry the State
against the combined influence and
efforts Ot the manufacturers OF whisky aad
| beer, the Liquor Dealers Association of
ST. Louis, Caicago. Louisville, Cincin-
natl, New York, Philadelphia and else
| where, and against the use of the vast
sums Of money they have sent to Texas
to employ and Pay speakers, Stubborn the
newspapers and corrupt the bsllot snd
debauch our people. We believed we
could carry it against the saloon keep
ers, professional politicians and q mum
| Der Of good men like cur friend Governor
| Lubbock. But the talismaniC power OF
your great name is now beng paraded
against the Prohibitionists, not only by
some good men who like yourself
think prohibition more dangerous than
the liquor traffic and drunkenness, with
all the evils, poverty, wretchedness, shame,
sorrow and crime, which follow iuevIta-
oily in their train; and your letter is being
read and epplauded by every salooD
keeper and dram drinker in Texas to
day. And it will cost cause which
many of US deem of the greatest i'm
portarce many thousands OF votes, an6
we fear may defeat the amendment aud
give the Endorsement OF the people to the
| liquor traffic, with the griefs, sorro VS.
and crimes which always 60 with it.
You object TO this amGndnendment be-
cause "the world is governed too much.''
Our laws prohibit the carrying OF pistols,
| bowie knives and brass knucklcs, and
punish those carrying them By fine and
imprisonment. Oar laws prohibit end
provide fer the punishment OF every spe-
cies OF gambling. Taey prohibit ard
provide for the punishment OF many other
Things which sTe Injurious TO society and
which restrain the personal liberty Of the
citizen. You admit that the Incorporate
use Of liquors is the "root CT
many social disorders" No one csn
truthtully derry the baneful effects OF the
liquor traffic. Blu: you think, with many
| Ctlers, that 30 prohibit it will be an
abridgement of personal liberty. This is
admitted. PersOnai liberty WAS abridged
when God forbade our progenitcrs to est
Of the fruit Of the tree OF life. the
dacalogue in'the Holy Scriptures abridges
personal liberty in nearly every COM
mandment. The Lays OF the United
States, sand of our several states, are in q
large measure made up Ct provisions for
| the abridgement of personal liberty.
They do this in order 70 give protection
/ to the persons, the regulations, the lives,
the property OF the people: to give peace
and prosperity 10 society. They do il
OtC4uSe SONc(uNleI4 duQ civil SOCItIJ
cannot exist without the sbridgement OF
personal liberty. They do it fer the good
of society and the protection of its
members. Is the liquor traffic en- evil?
Few have the hardihood 10 deny that it
is. Most of the antl-prohibition orators
Of this state admit that it is; then why
not prohibit it except for the useful pur-
poses mentioned in the amendment, IS
we prohibit gambling and the carrying Of
| weapons, You justly refer to drunkards
as "degreded criminals" why not DO all
we lawfully may to prevent drunkenness
and the crimes il gives rise to?
The great charter fEnglish liberty, the
portions of the constitution of the United
States which operate IS bill of rights,
the bills of rights of the several states OF
the Union may De analysed in all
their aspects, and 1t will not, can not
be fcuad that they anywhere, under
any circumstances, protect persona
liberty where its exercise is crime, or
ofends injuriously the interest OF society.
They only protect those great and sacred
rights without which men cannot be free,
cannot enjoy either personal liberty or
ponulsr rights.